It's nearly impossible to argue that Freddie Freeman is not the best first baseman of his generation. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has been the definition of consistency, recording nearly 140 hits or more in every full season of his career.
Not only has he been consistent but he has been durable, playing in 117 or more games in all but two seasons of his 14-year MLB career. The only two seasons that Freddie Freeman did not play at least 117 games were his rookie year and the shortened 2020 regular season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"Freddie Freeman's closest Baseball Reference "Similarity Score" after all 11 #mlb seasons is #orioles legend Eddie Murray. If his batting eye and durability hold up, Freddie is a #baseballHOF first baseman. A strong #WorldSeries showing will strengthen the ballot case. #braves" - @thedanieloakes
As a result of his performances and reliability, Freeman has been well compensated on the financial side of the game. After 12 successful seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Freeman signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the end of the 2021 season.
Many expected Freeman to remain with the Atlanta Braves after the 2021 season, especially considering that the team had just won the World Series. However, the Braves were unwilling to commit to Freeman long-term, instead, he found himself on the move to Hollywood, even though he wanted to remain in Atlanta.
Freddie Freeman's contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers features deferred payments from 2028-2040
While Freddie Freeman's deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers was announced as a six-year, $162 million contract, the two parties agreed to deferred payments from 2028 to 2040. Due to these deferred payments, the value of the contract is roughly six-year, $140 million. He is set to make $4 million every year from 2028 to 2040 as a result.
"the deferred money from the Freeman contract applies for luxury tax purposes. basically the Dodgers spread out the luxury tax hit to only $23 million over the next 6 years. GET HAL STEINBRENNER ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW … THE #YANKEES HAVE NO EXCUSE TO NOT KEEP SPENDING" - @FrankiesTwoLoud
The most well-known case of deferred payments in MLB history is that of Bobby Bonilla. While Canadians celebrate July 1 as Canada Day, for baseball fans, that date is also known as "Bobby Bonilla Day". The former New York Mets star retired in 2001, however, every year on July 1, Bonilla receives a cheque for $1.19 million from the club. This will continue until 2035.
